Updated with a new picture December 4, 2018

I’m new to the chili game – this is not something my family ate growing up. My Mom hates beans, and as my Dad likes to say: “If Mom hates it, we don’t eat it”. Because of this, I was never a bean eater either, and never had experienced chili until I made this recipe a couple of years ago.

I feel like it’s a great beginner chili: the ingredients are pretty basic, there’s no Bobby Flay zone of crazy peppers to try to locate, and it takes under half an hour to pull together. Of course the fun part is all the toppings you can layer on, like sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, CRUSHED FRITOS! Let’s consider this ground zero for chili experiments, and see what other recipes I can try this winter.

Of course, it’s also nice to have something bread-y and carb-y to eat with chili. I love cornbread, but I’ve my eye on these jalapeno pepper jack scones for ages. Nicole and I ate these with our chili and they were amazing, and I brought the leftovers to Jenn’s house to eat with our tortilla soup she made us for lunch. I wish I saved a few!

Red Bean Chili

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Yield: This is half the original recipe and makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 carrots, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 cup beef broth

2 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (optional)

19 oz can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

+ grated cheddar, sour cream, hot sauce, green onions

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven (new Le Creuset!), brown ground beef or turkey over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes).
2. Add onion, garlic, carrots and pepper, and cook for about 5 more minutes until vegetables are getting soft. Slowly pour in the broth, and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
3. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cocoa and tomatoes, and reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans, salt and vinegar, stirring well, and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Jalapeno Pepper Jack Scones

Source: Joy the Baker

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

2 jalapeno peppers, some (or all) seeds removed, diced small

4 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into small cubes

1 tbsp flour

2 cups flour

2 tbsp cornmeal

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold, cut into cubes

2 eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a small pan, add the jalapenos, and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Let cool completely, then mix with the pepper jack, and toss with 1 tbsp flour.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a knife, until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea-sized.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream, then pour all at once into the dry ingredients. Mix together gently with a spoon until almost fully incorporated, then add the jalapeno/cheese mixture and mix again.
4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for about 30 seconds. Pat into a circle, 2″ thick, and slice into wedges (I made 8). At this point you can set the scones on a cookie sheet and stick in your freezer for a few hours, then transfer to a big ziploc bag and stash in the freezer (this is so they don’t all stick together – called flash freezing).
5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400, and bake for 20-25 minutes until nice and brown.

BONUS:

If you’re feeling frisky with your chili leftovers, you can slice up a potato into wedges, toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, roast in the oven until golden and delicious, then top with chili and grated cheddar and guess what? CHILI FRIES.